This disclosure concerns an invention relating generally to workstation tables, and more specifically to workstation tables configured for use in assembly and fabrication operations, and which can be assembled and broken down quickly with limited tools.
Work space is often in short supply in machine shops, factories, and other manufacturing operations. Workers often need to be able to rapidly move, set up, and/or break down work areas depending on the demands of the project at hand. Workstation tables that are currently available provide only a limited solution to this problem, because they are bulky and require extensive time and tools for assembly. Additionally, most current workstation table designs are welded, making them heavy, expensive, and difficult to ship. Existing workstation tables are also generally inflexibly configured, whereas it would be preferable to have a workstation table design which adjusts in one or more dimensions to accommodate a user""s current needs.
The invention involves a workstation table which is intended to at least partially solve the aforementioned problems. To give the reader a basic understanding of some of the advantageous features of the invention, following is a brief summary of preferred versions of the workstation tables. As this is merely a summary, it should be understood that more details regarding the preferred versions may be found in the Detailed Description set forth elsewhere in this document. The claims set forth at the end of this document then define the various versions of the invention in which exclusive rights are secured.
A preferred version of the workstation table includes at least two horizontally oriented spaced worksurface struts which allow a work platform to be placed atop the worksurface struts to extend between them. Leg struts having adjustable length extend downwardly from the workstation struts, and a crank link extending between the leg struts can be rotated to adjust the length of both of the leg struts simultaneously. Base struts extend from the ends of the leg struts opposite the worksurface struts to better support the base struts. Stabilizer struts, which also preferably have adjustable length, extend between the opposing base struts and/or between the opposing leg struts to help maintain them in spaced relation. Owing to the adjustable length of the stabilizer struts, a base strut, leg strut, and worksurface strut situated on one side of a work platform may be spaced at a desired distance from the base strut, leg strut, and worksurface strut situated on the other side of the work platform, thereby allowing the spacing between them to be altered to accommodate differently-sized work platforms atop the worksurface struts.
The various struts are preferably made of tubing and are affixed together with strut clamps. Each strut clamp includes at least two clamp shells, with each clamp shell being shaped to complementarily fit about portions of adjoining struts in such a manner that the clamp shells may be affixed about the adjoining portions to attach them together. Most preferably, the strut clamps take a T-shaped form, with a stem portion (the base of the xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d) having a dead-end passage opening onto the middle of a branch portion (the top of the xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d) having a through passage. The branch portion may therefore receive any portion along the length of a tubular strut, and the stem portion may receive the end of another strut. Each strut clamp is preferably bisected into two identical strut clamp shells, each including half of the stem portion and half of the branch portion, so that the strut clamp shells can be affixed together with portions of adjoining struts fixed therebetween. Depending on the degree to which the strut clamp shells are affixed together, the passages within the strut clamps have variable size, and therefore they can be fixed about struts having somewhat different diameters. The strut clamps and their strut clamp shells advantageously allow rapid connection and disconnection of struts; do not require that specific struts be matched with specific strut clamps/clamp shells, since the strut clamps can be mated with different struts having different diameters; and allow variation in the configuration of the workstation table, since the branch portions of the strut clamps can be affixed at different locations along a strut.
The leg struts are preferably made to have adjustable length by providing them with leg strut segments which telescopically and coaxially slide with respect to each other. Each leg strut preferably includes a drive shaft which extends through the leg strut at an angle to its axis, wherein rotation of the drive shaft actuates telescopic extension or retraction of the leg strut. The crank link then extends between the drive shafts of the leg struts so that actuation of the crank link (or of any of the drive shafts affixed thereto) will effect actuation of all of the drive shafts, thereby simultaneously adjusting the length of all of the leg struts (and thus the height of the worksurface struts and any work platform thereupon). A crank can also be affixed to a drive shaft of a leg strut to allow easy actuation by a user.
Further advantages, features, and objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the associated drawings.